


Time to Level Up

by MaskofCognito



Series: Alternative Nano Challenge [13]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternative Nano Challenge, Coda s03e06, Hope, M/M, One Shot, Secret Crush, Short, inadequate feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 02:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21420937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaskofCognito/pseuds/MaskofCognito
Summary: Buck's changed for better or worse. He needs to come to grips with his new reality before he can move forward and be easy going with his team again.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Series: Alternative Nano Challenge [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534499
Comments: 4
Kudos: 144





	Time to Level Up

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Medic

Things were finally starting to line up. Buck had hopes, even if he wasn’t sure his affections would be reciprocated. He was gaining courage the longer he and Eddie hung out. The signs for something amazing kept wracking up.

Eddie used Buck's leave to volunteer him to be Christopher’s caretaker and that was an amazing development in his favor. But after he’d sued the department, Buck and Eddie’s relationship had been on thin ice. Sure, Eddie had said he’d forgiven Buck. But what he had said, and what Buck experiences are two different matters. Trust was shattered and the remains will never fit together quite right. 

Buck leans his head back on Maddie’s couch and looks at the ceiling as Maddie shakes the bag of popcorn into a bowl. “Hey, Mads.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you ever… ever known something could work with someone— like it would go so fucking well and you just wanted to let it keep growing before acting on it and exposing it? And then something just tears it down to pieces and you are faced with having to try and build it back to what it was?”

Maddie pops a few pieces in her mouth on her way back to the couch. She plops next to Buck and hands him the popcorn bowl as she chews and thinks. “Chim,” she nods. “Things were going well and then Doug ruined all of it. And after things died down a little, we tried to jump back into what we had already started. But so much happened and it changed us. So, we decided to back away for a bit. And after a time, I think we realized that we were different. What we could have had and what we have now are two completely different things. But that’s okay.” She looks at Buck. “Because I would have regretted not having what I have with him now, you know?”

Buck nods, face solemn at the reminder of what Maddie has been through and how he wasn't there to protect her. But, shit— she is so strong, and he's incredibly proud of his sister. “Yeah. Yeah, I get that.” He grabs a handful of popcorn and Maddie leans forward toward the remote.“Just wish what could have been was still an option.”

Maddie eyes Buck. She presses play and leans back, “Don’t dwell on it too hard, Buck. Moving forward, look at how to repair what you have. Love it for what it is and not what it could have been. Otherwise, you’ll end up hating yourself.”

Buck walks into the station and greets Chim and Hen while passing through. He heads to the locker room where he finds Eddie changing into his uniform. “Eddie. How’s it going?”

Eddie looks back at Buck and smiles, a bit tense, “Just changing. Heard anything new from Bobby?” 

“Yeah. I’m off of light duty." Buck grins, excited. He pulls his shirt over his head, and corrects, “well, I’m being let on the truck at least. So I get to be there for the action, just don’t know if Bobby’s orders will truly let me off light duty any time soon.”

“Honestly, man, I can’t quite blame him.” Eddie looks down while buttoning his shirt.

Removing his shoes so he can change his pants, Buck stays quiet for a moment, conflicting feelings on the topic battling it out. “I know. It’s just… hard is all.”

Eddie pats him on the shoulder, “Give it time. He’ll let you back into the swing of things. But the sooner you get off those blood thinners, the sooner it will happen.” And Eddie leaves the changing room.

Buck closes his eyes, letting the words ‘Give it time,’ reverberate within him.

The station alarm sounds and Buck, Eddie, Chimney, Hen, and Bobby all jump into action. Bobby briefs them on the way to the scene.

“Man down. Gunshot to the chest. He’s still breathing, but barely. Assailant unknown and wasn’t in the vicinity. Police made it to the scene already. I want everyone on high alert. We don’t know the who, why, where now. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Everyone replies. Buck looks at Eddie. Eddie watches Buck, but with a face that he can't quite place.

The scene is crowded. Cops have the perimeter covered, but people are taking out their phones and filming. Hen and Chimney park the ambulance and rush to the victim. Buck follows Eddie with the gurney, and Bobby orders a search to help the cops find the bullet. If it's not still in the vic and they find it, it could help the police find the shooters vicinity and eventually lead to an arrest.

Buck is severely distracted, though. He’s watching Chim and Hen work. Watching when Eddie jumps into their conversation and adding to the bit of war-time knowledge to the situation. They move the vic to the gurney and Hen has the man’s shirt cut open. He’s not sure what they are doing, but Chim yells toward the Captain as soon as he and Hen discourse medical jargon. “Cap’! Bullet’s lodged!”

“We can’t remove it here,” says Hen. “We need to get him to the hospital ASAP!”

Chimney is pumping air into the vic’s lungs and Hen works with Eddie to get the gurney up and start moving it toward the ambulance. 

It’s not until Bobby claps a hand on his shoulder in an effort to corral all his people that Buck snaps out of it. 

Back at the firehouse, Buck starts to ascend the stairs to the kitchen and stops midway when he hears Chimney and Bobby talking. 

“Maybe it’s some PTSD side-effect, or leftover, or something from the bombing incident? You know, firetruck on your foot and bomber-kid that could blow you up. With this being a shooter, perhaps it struck a nerve? Could really mess a person up, all that.” Buck could tell that Chimney stuffed something into his mouth at the end.

Bobby’s voice was more clear, if not quieter. “I don’t know. I wonder if it’s that simple. It’s probably something he’s not even sure about himself.” There is a clattering of plates and then the sound of the dinner bell.

Buck pulls his face into a smile, whether he feels ready to or not, and takes to the stairs with energy. There’s food up there, after all.

Bobby has sent Buck home early for the last week, but today is the first day he hasn’t. He’s thankful. And Eddie is in the locker room changing into his civilian clothes when he enters.

“Hey, man. Going to pick up Christopher?” 

Eddie is in the middle of pulling a t-shirt over his head when he looks back at Buck. He grins and pulls it down. “Yeah. He said he wanted to get take-out tonight and I told him we could have pizza. He’s pretty excited about it.”

Buck laughs and feels his eyes crinkle at the edge. He must be feeling better to be this happy. “Kids love their pizza.” He opens his locker and starts shedding his blues.

“I’d bet Buck loves pizza, too.”

They share a serious face before they both break out in grins. “Yeah, definitely. You got me there.” He wants to ask if he can join, but he’s not sure if Eddie wants him around right now. They only just recently started talking amicably again. He misses hanging out with Christopher, though, and it would be nice to see him.

“Good to know.” Eddie shuts his locker and sits on the bench next to his bag to tie his shoes. “So, what are you doing tonight?” 

Buck scrunches his nose in distaste. “Hmmm. Probably going to go home and find something to do. Had a lot of free time lately and it’s been boring. So who knows.”

“Join us. If you have nothing else to do, Christopher’s been missing you.”

Buck stares at Eddie, but he’s concentrating on tying his laces. Buck bites his bottom lip, only letting it go when he finally replies. “Yeah.” He slides his jeans on and nods toward his locker. “Yeah, that would be nice. Been missing Christopher, myself.” 

Eddie smiles and stands, zipping his bag and tossing it over a shoulder. He moves to leave, but before he opens the door, he asks, “Hey. What was that daze you were in earlier today?”

“Hmmm? Oh, with the shooter vic?”

Eddie nods.

“I was thinking about how everyone on the team knows a lot about medical stuff. I know the basics. It’s covered in our training, and Hen and Chim are our experts. Bobby knows more than me, but he also has more experience. You know way more from being on the front-line.” Buck feels his mouth flatten out as he thinks about how to put it into words. Finally, he lands on, “I guess I was kind of wondering if I should take some classes. I want to always be able to help in any situation. And I know I was a damn good firefighter and that I still am a damn good firefighter. But at some point, I don’t know. I guess— maybe— after being gone from the field for so long, I’m feeling inadequate, or something.”

Eddie only stands there and takes it all in. He doesn’t say anything, only looks at Buck like he’s trying to assess something invisible to Buck. Fully clothed, Buck grabs his own bag and meets Eddie at the door. They leave the station together in silence before Eddie pipes up.

“Christopher wants cheese pizza and black olives. Pick your poison and meet me at mine?”

Buck grins, feeling freedom from the depressive emotions that hovered over him only moments ago. Eddie had that effect on him, as did Christopher. “Who eats black olives, anyway?” He laughs and shoves Eddie to the side with his shoulder on their way to Eddie’s truck. 

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't want to write for Nano and commit to 50k when I know that a) I'm not great at long story commitments, and b) my life is a bit busy. However, I didn't want to NOT write this month. So, I decided to commit to a prompt a day for the month of November of whichever fandom I enjoy which gives the prompt the most spark. I'm using [this](https://n7month.tumblr.com/post/188450175349/n7-month-challenge) prompt list I found from tumblr, in case anyone wants to reference it or join in.


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